To Train or Not To Train
Just like any family expecting a child, we are busily working in these last few months to prepare for our bundle of joy. This time around though, our preparations not only involve setting up a nursery, but also preparing our daughter for the new arrival. As mentioned in a previous post, one thing we are working on with Elli is her ability to entertain herself.
The other question in our minds is whether to try potty training Elli before or after the baby arrives. Elli will turn two on March 9th so we are getting close to the potty training “age.” According to this article on O’Healthy, Elli is showing signs of potty training readiness because she indicates dirty diapers, shows interest in using the potty, can go 2 hours without a dirty diaper, and understands and follows simple instructions. However, on Facebook recently I posted about potty training Elli and got very mixed responses on whether or not potty training now is a good idea for our family.
Many of our friends said that it would be more difficult to have an infant and a newly potty trained toddler than to have two children in diapers. People said that having to take Elli to the potty all the time in the beginning may be made even more difficult when trying to nurse an infant all the time. Others stated that the arrival of the baby may make Elli regress in her training. I hadn’t thought of any of this – I just thought it would be less expensive to have one child out of diapers! I’m really not sure what to do.
I certainly do not want to miss a window of opportunity if Elli is interested in going for it. I also do not want to push her into something she is not ready for and scare her away from the potty. My plan had been to take our next three day weekend and try the three day, cold turkey training method. However, the advice of more experienced moms is making me slow down. I am now thinking the best thing might be to let Elli explore the idea of the potty, try going some when she is interested, and just see how things progress between now and May. I do believe that preparations and plans are important, but I am also learning that everything cannot be mapped out just how I want it. It seems to be a running theme in each blog I post – but baby steps towards potty training may be the best way to go for our family right now.
Did you use a particular potty training method that was successful? Did you try and potty train your oldest child before or after the sibling’s arrival?
